Word: muqtada
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That very moderation, however, made him suspect in the eyes of the larger, more radical Shi'ite organization, the Sadr Group, led by Muqtada al-Sadr, 29. Cooperation with the coalition is anathema to al-Sadr, whose power base lies among the poorest Shi'ite communities, especially in Sadr City. Descended from a line of venerated ayatullahs, two of whom were executed by Saddam's regime, al-Sadr has the one thing the Hakim brothers lacked: street cred. He speaks in the rough argot of the slums, and his sermons, usually given after Friday prayers, are delivered in a take...
American commanders also worry about the possible dangers posed by a new "army" being mobilized by renegade religious leader Muqtada al-Sadr, son of the late Mohammed Sadiq al-Sadr, who is revered by Iraq's Shi'ites for his struggle against Saddam. Two weeks ago at Friday prayers, al-Sadr declared his opposition to the American-appointed governing council and the American occupation and announced the formation of a "peaceful" army to defend Iraqi dignity, culture and sovereignty. He has since softened his rhetoric, saying the force will be armed only with "faith" and that it will restrict itself...
...cities (and in Baghdad's largest neighborhoods) have suppressed looting, mounted security patrols and restored basic services. But the Hawza comprises different factions: Its leader is Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, who advocates keeping the clergy out of directly political roles. But that view is challenged by the followers of Muqtada al-Sadr, acting in the name of his father and uncle, both legendary anti-Saddam clerics murdered by the regime, whose agitation for the creation of an Islamic state may be anathema to Washington. Involvement by the SCIRI and Dawa in the process help give it a strong Shiite presence...
...murder of Ayatollah al-Khoei, for which two of Muqtada's guards have been arrested, Muqtada denies involvement. "I expelled Mustafa Yaqubi and Sheik Kais (the men arrested) and we beat them," he says, insisting that he had tried to protect Khoei. "I tried to save him. I sent my men to announce on loudspeakers that all arms should be laid down. I tried to go out to help Khoei, but I was threatened with the same fate as him if I went...
...That remains a distinct possibility in the high-stakes battle for dominance among Iraq's majority Shiite population. But it's a possibility for which Muqtada is ready. "I am not afraid," he says. "I wish to be a martyr, and I don't fear death...